africanlegalstudies.blog – Cutting edge analysis on key issues in African politics, law and development

Human Rights

Forest Conservation vs. Indigenous Land Rights in South Africa: A Conflict in Need of Balance
Introduction Forest conservation and biodiversity protection are essential for climate change mitigation and ecological sustainability. However, these objectives frequently conflict with the land tenure rights and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. This tension is particularly acute in South Africa, where the creation of protected areas is rooted in colonial and apartheid-era dispossession. These policies systematically displaced…
Decolonial Pivot: How African Jurisprudence is Redefining Business and Human Rights in the Technology Governance
Introduction The discourse on Business and Human Rights in Africa regarding technology governance is undergoing a major decolonial shift. Rather than simply adopting Western-inspired legal frameworks, it is moving toward more localized and context-sensitive forms of governance that challenge the epistemological foundations of global technology regulation. This shift aims to unsettle entrenched power structures and…
From Paris to the Niger Delta: Why Human Rights Due Diligence Has a Geography Problem
. Introduction Global discourse on corporate accountability is witnessing a fundamental reorientation. For decades, governance of transnational corporations (TNCs) on human rights and environmental standards was relegated to voluntary initiatives and the widely used but indeterminate concept of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR). The limitations of this voluntarist approach have precipitated a decisive turn towards “hard…

Environmental law

Forest Conservation vs. Indigenous Land Rights in South Africa: A Conflict in Need of Balance
Introduction Forest conservation and biodiversity protection are essential for climate change mitigation and ecological sustainability. However, these objectives frequently conflict with the land tenure rights and livelihoods of Indigenous communities. This tension is particularly acute in South Africa, where the creation of protected areas is rooted in colonial and apartheid-era dispossession. These policies systematically displaced…
Equitable Urban Transitions in Africa: Legal Opportunities and Constraints
Introduction Urbanisation in sub-Saharan Africa is accelerating at an unprecedented rate, with the urban population projected to grow from approximately 472 million in 2020 to over 1.2 billion by 2050, raising the proportion of city dwellers from 43 % to nearly 60 % of the total population. This rapid growth presents both opportunities and challenges for equitable urban development.…
Inclusive Urban Transitions and Planning Law in East Africa: A Comparative Review of Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia
Introduction Rapid urbanisation across East Africa presents opportunities and profound challenges for sustainable and equitable development. While urban populations have grown rapidly, this growth has not consistently translated into improved productivity or equitable development. Colonial legacies of segregated and car-oriented planning persist disadvantaging the majority who rely on non-motorised transport. Equitable urban transitions therefore require…

f ocus on soma lia

Child Marriage in Somalia: Legal Pluralism and the Limits of International Human Rights Implementation
Introduction: Child Marriage in Contemporary Somalia In 2025, Somalia ratified the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child.[1] Ten years earlier, the country had also ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child, which clarifies the age of majority as 18.[2] The move was met with protests, with men arguing that…
The Human Rights Situation in the Federal Republic of Somalia: Challenges and Perspectives
Introduction The Federal Republic of Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa, bears the scars of a past marked by colonial rule, a brief period of independence, and a devastating civil war that began in 1991. The collapse of the central government plunged the country into years of anarchy and clan-based violence, while also enabling…
Investment and Investor Protection in Somalia
Introduction With Somalia’s accession to the East African Community (EAC), the internal market of this community is also becoming increasingly attractive for foreign investments. A common market with over 300 million populations is developing, and there is not only a common internal market. It also has an excellent strategic location from the Indian Ocean to…

Regional Integration

A Digital Pathway to Integration Beyond Legal Frameworks to Digital Reality
Introduction The region’s track towards integration has been long: legal frameworks have been established, the Customs Union has been formed,[1] the Common Market Protocol has been put in place,[2] and the Monetary Union is the ultimate goal pursued for more than 20 years[3]. But the gap between policy and practice is wide: intra-EAC trade has…
The Message Communicated to African Regionalisation Following the Creation of the Alliance of Sahel States-AES
Introduction The Alliance of Sahel States, also known in French as the ‘Alliance des Etats du Sahel’ (AES), is a confederation formed by Burkina Faso, Niger, and Mali.[1] The AES was established in September 2023, following the adoption of the Charter of Liptako-Gourma, which establishes the Alliance of Sahel States.[2] The AES Charter was signed…
How African countries are managing the potentially catastrophic risks of just transition through the investment regime
Introduction Foreign investment has long been an important policy tool for countries seeking to transform their economies. The international investment regime—comprising treaties and institutions—has supported this objective by creating policies to attract and protect investment. For developing countries, foreign investment plays a particularly crucial role in alleviating poverty, generating employment opportunities, and fostering economic…

Forest Conservation vs. Indigenous Land Rights in South Africa: A…

Decolonial Pivot: How African Jurisprudence is Redefining Business and Human…

From Paris to the Niger Delta: Why Human Rights Due…

Accountability for Rights Violations in Sudan’s Shadow Extractive Industries

Why African Perspectives Matter for Regulating Illicit Business

African Innovations in Business and Human Rights: Towards a Child-Centred…

Human Rights

Environmental law

f ocus on soma lia

Regional Integration